Monday, 27 January 2014

Oilve… oil or branch?

Let’s not ignore the elephant in the room – the real purpose of America’s resurgence of interest in the ASEAN bloc is to fortify the region as a counterweight against Beijing. PM Najib Razak has attached primary importance to Malaysia’s relationship with China, as he looked to Beijing to revive Malaysia's export-oriented economy after the 2008 global financial crisis. Sino-Malaysian exchange in areas such as finance, infrastructure development, science and technology, and education have never been higher. China has been Malaysia's largest trade partner, with trade figures reaching $90 billion in 2011 while Malaysia is China’s largest trading partner among ASEAN nations. Washington’s backing for Malaysia’s US-friendly opposition must be seen in the context of its moves to bolster its military muscle and dominance over the Asia-Pacific region in line with its ‘Pivot to Asia’ policy. Malaysia has sovereign rights over the Straits of Malacca, China’s most critical supply routes that transport oil and other materials vital to its continued economic development. Aside from its strategic location, Malaysia has a booming economy that averages around 7 percent annual growth, it is the world’s third largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) after Qatar and Indonesia, and the country has holds over 4 billion barrels of proven oil reserves. -Russia Today

The opinion piece by political analyst Nile Bowie was published in April, 2013. That was almost a year ago.

Any changes to the game now since the 'proxy dictator' has failed miserably?